


White Christmas

by Morning_Glory



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Holidays, I Blame Tumblr, M/M, Multi, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morning_Glory/pseuds/Morning_Glory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loosely inspired by White Christmas, where Steve and Bucky are producers, Darcy is a singer, and things are a little complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This is for all the Tumblr enablers who wanted this to be a thing. Unbeta'd and rushed, so all mistakes are mine, recognizable stuff, not so much.

[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/106561803@N04/11540629466/)

 

 

"So what made you decide to drag us here, of all places?" Bucky looks up from his vodka and scans the room again, taking in the details of the old ballroom converted into a nightclub. The mix of aesthetics, the Art Deco style and hardwood floors, with the more modern stage and equipment, works surprisingly well together. From their table on the edge of the dance floor, Steve and Bucky have the perfect view of the whole club, able to watch the live band performing on stage and keep an eye on the crowd reactions. "Not really your kind of club."

Steve shrugs, eyes locked on the couples dancing to the lively music. “Checking out an act.”

"We don’t need another act." Bucky snorts and tosses back the rest of his drink, flagging down a server for another. "Why are we really here?"

"Let’s just say we’re doing it for a pal in the army." Bucky makes a questioning sound and Steve finally looks over at him. "Stark got in touch, asked if we’d offer his little sister some pointers."

"Didn’t know Stark even had a sister. Should we be worried?" Steve chokes on his beer as he fights off a laugh. Bucky reaches over and pounds on his back until Steve waves him off. It takes a minute for him to calm his breathing back down before be tries to talk.

"Don’t be mean," Steve shakes his head at Bucky, who just grins back. After a brief pause, waiting for just the right moment when Bucky raises his glass to drink, Steve completes his train of thought. "She’s only a half-sister. Maybe she turned out normal."

Bucky looks amused as he puts his glass down, but doesn’t comment on the attempt at revenge. Instead his focus shifts to the bar and he lets out a low whistle. Steve turns to look, curious, and can’t hold back his own appreciative sound as his eyes land on the gorgeous brunette talking to the bartender. Something in the exchange must be funny, because her head tilts back and she laughs. Neither Bucky nor Steve can tear their eyes away from her.

"Remember how we agreed no presents this year?” Bucky’s voice is faint, barely heard over the music. “I think I just changed my mind.” Steve has to clear his throat a few times before he can answer.

“You and me both.” They exchange a look and the knowing heat in Bucky’s eyes brings out the faintest tinge of pink in Steve’s cheeks before he can stop it. Bucky smirks but doesn’t say anything about it, attention shifting back to the bar. His spine straightens, and Steve looks over, quickly following suit when he notices the bartender pointing in their direction and the brunette turned to look.

It’s too dim to tell what colour her eyes are from this distance, but there is no mistaking the frown on her red painted lips. She takes a step in their direction before the bartender has a hand on her arm, saying something and nodding to the clock on the wall when she stops to look at him. The woman shakes her head, obviously not happy, and turns back, accepting the offered drink and disappearing through a disguised door at the end of the bar. The bartender continues watching Steve and Bucky curiously for a moment before his attention shifts back to the new customers lining up for drinks.

“That was,” Bucky struggles for a moment to come up with an appropriate word. “Interesting. We don’t know her, do we?”

“You think we’d forget a woman like that?” Steve shakes his head, frowning slightly as he runs over it in his mind. His train of thought is interrupted by the sound of clapping and he turns back to the stage, catching the tail end of the band introducing the next act, Darcy Lewis. “This is the girl we’re here to see.”

The stage lights go down and, after a moment of silence, a voice like silk and warm honey cuts through the darkness. A single spotlight starts a slow reveal of a woman in a blue dress. The brunette from the bar. Bucky curses quietly as he watches the performance. He shoots a quick glance at Steve before focusing back on the stage.

"You’re gonna attempt to be all noble and say we can’t have that present now, aren’t you?" Steve frowns at him, but keeps quiet for the moment, getting caught up in the show. After a couple of songs, the band calls another break, and then Steve answers back.

"Don’t tell me I have to explain  _why_  it would be inappropriate?” Bucky rolls his eyes, muttering about how many of the things they do are considered inappropriate by some people and it never stopped them before. Steve sighs. “It’s different and you know it.”

"I’m just saying, don’t dismiss the idea outright. If it makes you feel better about it, you can say you were doing it for a pal in the army." Bucky smirks at him and Steve shakes his head, not quite able to suppress a laugh at the teasing. He freezes when he spots the woman under discussion heading in their direction. Bucky snaps to attention, watching as she slips through the crowd with ease, the frown from earlier back on her face. They stand as she reaches their table, but before either can get a word out she speaks up.

"Did my brother send you?" Her voice is low, trying to avoid attracting the attention of the people around them, but clear enough for Bucky and Steve to tell she isn’t pleased. That definitely isn’t the reaction they expected. Most people are happy when they find out that the famous duo of Rogers and Barnes has come to see them perform.

"What?" Steve doesn’t try to hide his confusion and frowns when she leans back and rolls her eyes at him. She repeats her words more slowly and with a sharper edge. "Is that a problem?"

"You’re damn right it is." She crosses her arms and stares at Steve suspiciously. The height difference between the three of them makes for an interesting dynamic as Darcy stares up at them and they tower slightly over her while she struggles to keep from yelling at them. Steve invites her to sit, thinking it would even them up a bit, and after a moments pause, she does, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I specifically told him not to interfere. I don’t need him calling in favours to make this work."

"Miss Lewis, he just wants to help. He asked us to take a look, maybe offer some advice, that’s all." Steve offers cautiously, watching as Darcy’s shoulders slump slightly, as if his words deflate her. He catches sight of Bucky’s frown out of the corner of his eye and the idea hits him. "Did you think he paid us to offer you a contract?"

"Wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried." Her voice is soft, barely audible over the noise of the club, and she shakes her head as if trying to clear the thought away. Steve clenches his teeth at the idea that she could think that about them, and that her own brother would do that to her and not realize how it would make her feel. A quick glance at Bucky shows him fighting against the same reactions.

"He didn’t ask us for that, though I can’t promise he didn’t hope we’d liked what we saw and make some kind of offer." Steve glares at Bucky when he lets out a startled laugh at that and Darcy looks between them, obviously confused.

"What if we were just passing through and running into you was a happy accident?" Bucky’s been surprisingly quiet through the exchange, keeping back and watching closely. Until now. Seeing an opening, he shoots a quick smirk at Steve as Darcy takes a moment to study him.

"Then I suspect we’d be having a very different conversation right now." Darcy arches an eyebrow at him and they exchange indecipherable looks. Her walls are back up and she’s not giving away any of what she’s thinking. Bucky gives her a slow grin. He stands suddenly, holding a hand out to her.

"Dance with me?" She hesitates, eyes flicking to Steve briefly before focusing on Bucky again. She looks at his offered hand warily and he chuckles. "I don’t bite." He pauses for a moment and lets his eyes drift over her in a way she can’t possibly miss, letting his grin grow as she blushes. "Not unless you ask me nicely."

Darcy doesn’t quite stifle a laugh, lips twitching into a wry smile. “Don’t try anything funny, Sergeant Barnes. I can take care of myself, even without the tricks my brother taught me when he came home.”

"Best behaviour, Doll. I promise." Steve takes a drink to keep from laughing at that and Darcy shakes her head at the surprisingly believable innocent face Bucky manages, before she slips her hand into his and stands.

"Good. I’d probably feel a little bad if I had to make you cry." Bucky laughs, leading Darcy out onto the floor, leaning down to say something to her that Steve can’t hear. Whatever it is makes her turn bright red, but she doesn’t pull away, just tilts her head back and laughs the way she did at the bar when they first saw her.

Steve watches from the table as they dance, seeing how Bucky holds her closer than is strictly proper and how she doesn’t pull away. Occasionally other dancers will pass in front of them, but Bucky chose his spot on the floor well and Steve doesn’t lose sight of them for more than a few seconds at a time. Their conversation appears to be going well, both smiling and laughing, seemingly not noticing that their dance has stretched through multiple songs until a member of the crew steps in to remind Darcy she’s on again soon. She disappears backstage and Bucky walks back to the table, looking like the cat that got the canary.

"If you’re serious about making a go at this, I think she’s willing to listen." Bucky comments as he drops into the chair next to Steve, sliding it closer so he can keep his voice low. Steve takes a few minutes to think about all the possible meanings of that sentence and how things could play out. Eventually, he nods, and Bucky leans in even closer so that their shoulders brush. "The only thing is, she’s got a gig in Vermont over the holidays. She’s heading out on the train tonight after the show." He pauses for a second to let that sink in and Steve feels his lips twisting into a smile.

"We’re on the same train, aren’t we?" It’s not really a question though, because he already knows the answer. Only one train is scheduled to leave the station that night.

"How’s that for coincidence?" Bucky chuckles as he leans back again, finishing off the rest of his drink and watching Steve closely. "What do you think, Punk? Vermont must be lovely this time of year, all that snow."

"Really?" Steve’s left eyebrow twitches up as he meets Bucky’s eyes. The silent conversation ends when Steve turns away to watch Darcy take the stage again. "Well, I  _guess_  we can afford to take a few days off.” Out of the corner of his eye he sees Bucky grin.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this done by Christmas, so this is where it had to end. Might play around with this 'verse a bit more, but no promises on that happening before next year.


End file.
